Agent Rhode Island: Origins
by TyForestWrites2
Summary: (Book 0) *ON HIATUS* You know why he's here... But you don't know everything about HOW he's here... Everyone has a story... All heroes have an origin. This is how Ryan Bellator became a Freelancer, Agent Rhode Island. (Agent Carolina x OC)(Hints of Agent North x OC)(Vague Agent Washington x OC)
1. Prologue: Sharkface

**Hey guys! This is TyForestGames, and I'm back to write Agent Rhode Island's origin story! Since I am unable to wait for Season 14, this should keep me tied up until then. And hopefully keep you interested in the process. Oh, and all of it will be written in Ryan/Rhode's point of view. So let's jump right in!**

 **XXX**

 **Prologue: Sharkface**

Fire. Smoke. Screaming.

All of that filled my eyes and ears as I looked at my home's main lobby. Why? Why did this happen?

Of course, I already knew the answer. These guys were Insurrectionists. Me and my family were rich funders of Project Freelancer. We already knew that we were a huge target to begin with. That's why we have a high level security system. That's why my parents have given me self defense classes and weapons training ever since I was seven. But that didn't matter.

It had all happened so quickly. We all heard a crash as the front doors to the mansion were blown open. We rushed to the noise and saw at least twenty soldiers storm in, shooting everywhere. But the one that caught our eyes was the one soldier in the middle of the room.

He was a huge figure, dressed in thick, steel-grey armor with maroon highlights, his visor was patterned with two rows of teeth like a shark's, a flame sticker was prominent on his chest and he wielded a huge flamethrower patterned with a shark head. That shark symbol was a symbol I would never forget.

There were only three of us, me and my parents, but we managed to put up a decent fight. As we fought, the huge soldier used his flamethrower and began burning the house down. I was armed with only a pistol and my parents with assault rifles. But we didn't last long.

My dad went down first. My mother shrieked when she saw him fall to the ground, distracting her long enough to get shot herself. I was panicking. I now fired my shots wildly into the crowd of soldiers, taking down a few before one shot me in the leg.

I fell to the ground in pain, grasping my wounded leg. I looked up and saw the huge soldier walk up to me. He grabbed me by the shirt collar and threw me back towards the doors. He laughed as I struggled to get up. He walked towards me again and I fired a shot to his chest piece. The bullet just plinked off of his armor.

He picked me up by the collar again and took off his helmet. He had apparently lost his hair on one side of his head and his face was covered in burn scars. His eyes glinted evilly.

"Listen kid," he said, "I think you've learned your lesson. That's why I'm giving you ten seconds to get out before I change my mind about killing you."

He dropped me and laughed. I tilted my head up and pulled out my pistol. I fired. Fortunately, I hit him. Unfortunately, it only hit his left eye and he screamed in pain. He stumbled back, grasping his face a began to breathe more slowly, trying to ignore the pain. He glared at me in pure hatred and I tried to shoot him again. Just my luck, I'm out of bullets.

I took that opportunity to run. I burst out of the opening that used to be my front door, ignoring the pain that my leg was causing, and took off towards the city, not daring to look back. I didn't get too far until I saw cop cars and fire trucks speeding towards my house.

One of the cops stopped when he saw me and asked what was wrong. I told him who I was and that Insurrectionists had attacked my house and burned it down. He drove me to the city hospital and told me to stay where I was until they got back. So I did just that as the doctors fixed me up.

 **XXX**

Just twenty minutes later, I noticed the sirens of the cars and looked up. I immediately noticed that there were significantly less cars than before; about two fire trucks and five cop cars. There were at least three times that amount when they passed me. The cop from before drove up and told me to get in. He was taking me to the local police station for interrogation.

And I knew that my life was going to get worse from here.

 **XXX**

 **And there's your prologue! And that's how Sharkface got that eye injury as shown in Season 13. Till next time guys!**


	2. Chapter 1: On My Own

**Chapter 1: On My Own**

"So your sure they were Insurrectionists?" The cop asked.

I sat in front of a desk, with no doubt the saddest look on my face, at the police station being interrogated by the sheriff.

"Yes sir," I replied, "I've seen that black armor enough times to know it by heart."

"Do you know why they attacked you?" The sheriff asked.

"My family is a proud supporter and rich funder of Project Freelancer," I answered, "No doubt the Insurrectionists wanted to weaken the Project's support by attacking people like my family."

"That seems logical. Look... Uh, what's your name again, kid?"

"Ryan. Ryan Bellator."

"Look Ryan, seeing as you don't have a mansion to live in anymore and the money your family deposited in the bank has just vanished. Do you have any place other than the streets to stay?"

"No sir. My grandparents are long gone, and I have no aunts or uncles."

He sighed, "Well then, I don't know what to tell you son. Your too old to go to a foster home, but if I just let you go-"

"It's alright."

"Huh?"

"I can go out on my own. It'll be okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well then, Ryan, I wish you luck."

As I got up and walked out, I heard him mumble, "You're gonna need it."

 **XXX**

And just when I thought my life couldn't get worse. In hindsight, I should never have told the police I would be fine on my own. I sold the pistol I had kept with me since the incident and only got a couple of dollars off of it. I realized just how tough it was out on the streets.

Growing up, I never had to do everything by myself. Sure, I wasn't completely spoiled. I was punished for things just like any other kid would. And I always did my part around the house... That being said, I never have had any outside experience. Other than the occasion play outside as a kid, I've never been out in the city on my own. I have no guide or anything.

I managed to use the money I had to buy enough food to last me a few days. But after that, I was screwed. Even still, I don't have anywhere to stay. So I spent the night on the streets all the time I was homeless. It sucked, needless to say. The nights were cold, and I had no way of getting warm.

'So this is it, Ryan,' I thought one night, 'Rock bottom. I went from being in the richest family on the planet to homeless in less than a day. My life sucks right now.'

After about a week, a thought occurred to me. My mansion had a basement! My dad took me down there once and showed me a safe behind a painting (cliche, I know). I knew for a fact that it had extra cash in there.

With the idea in my mind, I raced off as fast as my hungry body could carry me towards the ruins of my house.

 **XXX**

When I arrived, I stopped and shuddered, not just from the cold, but the awful memories of that day. I walked onto the ruins and I could notice the small details telling me where to go. I walked through the pile of burnt rubble that used to be a staircase and heard a creak under my feet.

I dug through the rubble and found a small trapdoor. It was definitely beat up and burnt, but intact nonetheless. I opened it and the trapdoor immediately fell apart. I walked down the stairs as carefully as I could, so that the stairs wouldn't break either.

The basement was a wreck. I guess the house's collapse did quite the number on it. I walked over to the painting and ripped it off the wall. Behind it was a simple door with a lock. I picked up a nearby wrench and busted it open.

When I opened the door, I was a bit disappointed. Apparently, it wasn't really a safe. It was basically just a hole in the wall. A hole in the wall that had also been caved in. I noticed smoldered pieces of wood in the rubble and quickly dug through it. I luckily found about a hundred and fifty dollars in cash. The rest was either burnt, or I just didn't dig enough.

I dug a bit more and noticed a hand-sized piece of paper. I picked it up and noticed that it was actually an old photo. I smiled sadly as I saw a younger me, mom, and dad in front of the mansion. I tucked the photo away and walked back up the stairs.

As I began to head back towards the city, rustling through a pile of rubble, I heard a strange voice call out, "You there! Who are you?"

 **XXX**

 **And now we get slightly different conflict! Till next time guys!**


	3. Chapter 2: Wyoming and Carolina

**Chapter 2: Wyoming and Carolina**

'Oooooh mierda,' I thought as I turned towards the voice.

It was a man in white Mark VI Spartan armor holding a sniper rifle. And he had his gun pointed directly at me.

"Who are you?" He asked in a perfect stereotypical British accent, "Why are you here?"

"Umm..." I stuttered, not sure of what to say.

So I ran. Can you really blame me? I had been homeless on the streets for about a week now. Nearly everyday, I've had to fight off petty criminals who were armed with either nothing, or a bat, at the worst. So having a gun pointed at my head was the scariest thing in the world at the moment.

I didn't get far though. A shot was fired and I jumped to a stop as the bullet bounced at my feet.

"Yes, I don't advise moving anymore," the soldier chuckled.

He walked towards me, keeping his gun trained on me. I found myself frozen in place. I knew that the threat was serious and I was terrified. He walked up and grabbed my arm tightly and I cried out a bit in pain.

"You're coming with me," he said.

That's when my self defense mechanisms kicked in. My fears disappeared for a short moment as I freed my arm, ripped off his helmet and punched him in the face. He stumbled back, dropping his rifle and clutching his face in pain. I kicked the rifle behind me as I saw his face.

I knew I was a dead man when I saw his face. He looked absolutely furious, his sneer partially hidden behind his Super Mario mustache. He charged me and punched me in the face, sending me flying back and I landed on my stomach.

As I got up, I knew there was no way I was gonna be able to beat him. He was wearing armor that was made to block bullets and grenade explosions. I wasn't going to make a dent in that anytime soon.

He put his helmet back on, pulled out a pistol, and began firing. I quickly ducked behind a broken wall and covered my head. I saw him jump over the wall, but I had anticipated that. When he landed, I jumped on him and straddled onto his back, surprising him so much he dropped his pistol.

"Why you- GET OFF!!!" He yelled, trying to grab at me.

I got him in a choke hold and he grabbed at my arm. He began to choke, but he fell down on his back, thus crushing me to the ground. I groaned in pain as he got up and picked up his pistol.

"Well mate," he chuckled, "You put up quite the fight."

He pointed the gun at my head, "But it's all over now."

I closed my eyes, preparing for the end. But before the guy could pull the trigger, a voice called out to him.

"Wyoming! Stop!"

My eyes flung open in surprise. Wyoming?! This guy was a Freelancer?! I looked over to where the voice came from and saw a cyan armored figure running toward us and I immediately recognized her. It was Agent Carolina, the number one best Freelancer. It was impossible not to hear about her when your family helps fund Project Freelancer. She looked at Wyoming as I managed to sit up.

"Let me handle this," Carolina ordered and she walked towards me.

Now I was scared beyond belief. If Wyoming gave me that much trouble, I could only imagine what Agent Carolina would do to me. I closed my eyes again, waiting for some kind of pain.

Instead, she knelt down and said, "Hey. You okay?"

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at her. I was not expecting this.

"Well?" She asked, her voice as calm as ever.

"Y-yeah," I answered.

She turned on Wyoming, "Why did you attack him?"

"He was trespassing," Wyoming shrugged, "He attempted to run when I confronted him."

"And why did you try to kill him?"

"He fought back. He was a problem."

"Pretty good job at fighting back, I have to say."

She turned back to me, "What's your name?"

"R-Ryan," I replied, "Ryan Bellator."

She was silent for a moment before turning back to Wyoming, "And I ask you, what the heck?!"

Wyoming stepped back a bit in fear, "H-he never told me!"

She sighed, "Whatever. Look, Ryan, we heard your family had been killed at this location by Insurrectionists. Is that true?"

I looked down, memories flooding back. Screams of pain, burning, Sharkface's laughter...

Carolina sighed again and removed her helmet. She lifted my chin up so I could look at her. She was beautiful, to say the least. It was the first time I ever saw her real face, not just her helmet. She had auburn hair, emerald green eyes, and, as I said, a beautiful face.

"Look," she said, "I just want to help you. How long have you been on the run?"

"Ever since the house burned down," I answered, "It's been a week of barely holding on. I came back here remembering my parents had an extra stock of cash in the basement."

I lowered my head again in sadness.

Carolina regarded me for a couple more seconds before asking, "Okay, well... How would you like to come with us?"

"Say what?" Wyoming gasped.

My head snapped back up, "What?"

"We can't just leave you here," Carolina said with a small smile, "Plus, after what your family has done for us, it wouldn't seem right to just leave its last member for dead."

I was shocked beyond belief. Of all the things to happen today, this was the last thing I could've expected.

"So," Carolina said, "What do you say?"

 **XXX**

 **I think you know what the answer is. Seriously, guys, if Carolina walked up to you and asked you to go with her, wouldn't you say yes? Till next time guys!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Mother of Invention

**Chapter 3: The Mother of Invention**

The next thing I knew, I was on a Pelican, heading into space. It was a kinda awkward ride. Wyoming kept looking at me and glaring, Carolina seemed to just stare off into space (literally), and the pilot, 479er (seriously, that's her name), just kept quiet, concentrating on her flying.

I looked out the window and glanced out into the emptiness of space. But suddenly, it wasn't so empty. A rather large ship came into view. The Pelican we were on was like a Tie Fighter and the ship out there was a Star Destroyer. The entire ship resembled a pistol with a large mounted cannon where the barrel was. On the side, it was labeled 'Mother of Invention'.

"Here we are," 479er said, ending the awkward silence, "Freelancer headquarters, the Mother of Invention."

 **XXX**

When we landed in the main docking bay, we got off and began walking towards the door. I then noticed two armored figures talking to each other. One was light yellow with red highlights and the other was gray with cyan highlights. They appeared to be excited about something and by the way they moved their hands, I guessed they were both girls.

Carolina caught my stare, "Those girls are Agents Arizona and Pennsylvania. They're new."

I gave those two one final look. I couldn't help but feel like I've met them before, but I've never met another girl outside my family in my life, other than Carolina of course. I shook off this feeling and followed Carolina and Wyoming out of the docking bay.

 **XXX**

We arrived at a doorway and we entered. Inside looked like the main control room, with all the people and computers in it. Then an African American man walked up.

"Welcome back Agents," he said in a calm voice, "How was the scouting mission?"

"Had a bit more trouble than we thought," Wyoming muttered and received a glare from Carolina.

"What Wyoming meant to say was that we found someone," Carolina stated, pointing at me, "His name is Ryan Bellator, the last survivor of the Bellator family."

The man looked at me with the same calm expression, "Really now? Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry about your loss."

"It's okay..." I muttered, looking down.

"This is Aiden Price, the Counselor," Carolina introduced before turning back to Price, "We need to see the Director. Is he here?"

"Right this way," the Counselor said, turning and walking away.

We followed him to the center of the room. We stopped as we saw a man simply overlooking the room wearing sunglasses.

"Director," Price said, "Agents Carolina and Wyoming are back."

"Excellent," the Director said in a sort of Southern accent.

He turned to us and fixed his eyes on me, "And what have we here?"

"This is Ryan Bellator," the Counselor answered, "The last member of the Bellator family."

"Hmm..." The Director looked at me with a kind of interest that creeped me out a bit, "The same family that was a huge sponsor for us?"

"Umm... Yes sir," I answered.

The Director continued to stare at me, "Well then, I'm sorry about that incident. But right now I'm wondering one thing: Why did you bring him here?"

"Well..." Carolina stated, "I was thinking about making him a Freelancer."

"What?!" Wyoming spluttered.

"What?!" I said, equally baffled.

"You heard me," Carolina grinned, turning to the Director, "Sir, before I intervened, Ryan here fought Wyoming and did quite a good job at it. I believe that with more training, Ryan could do a whole lot more."

The Director was silent for a moment, glancing away in thought. Finally, he turned back to us.

"Very well," he said, "But like you said, he'll need more training. You don't just sign up and become a Freelancer straight away. You have to prove yourself worthy of the title. Do you think you can do that Ryan?"

I was silent for a moment, still shocked by the sudden revelation. But I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good," the Director said, "Dismissed."

We walked out of the room and down the hall.

 **XXX**

Eventually, Carolina stopped and said, "I'm going to go get the others. Ryan, you're gonna need to meet them if you're gonna become a Freelancer."

I smiled a bit as she began to walk away. Then I realized something and called out to her.

"Hey Carolina!"

She turned, "Yeah?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to tell you, so..." I rubbed the back of my head, "Thanks. Thanks for everything."

She smiled, "No problem."

And with that, she walked off. However, the moment she turned a corner, Wyoming grabbed me by the throat and pinned me against the wall.

"Listen up, runt," he sneered, "I don't know what the Director or Carolina sees in you, but just know that you got lucky. Get in my way, and you're dead. Got it?"

He let go of me and I gasped for air and nodded. He chuckled and walked off. I glared in his direction. Just what I needed. An enemy who was also a Freelancer... Even if he was a colossal douche.

 **XXX**

 **And thus starts Ryan/Rhode and Wyoming's hatred for each other. Till next time guys!**


	5. Chapter 4: A Bit of a Tour

**Chapter 4: A Bit of a Tour**

After that little threat from Wyoming, I continued to wander the halls of the ship. If it hadn't been for the directories all over the place, I would've gotten lost. It wasn't long though before Carolina found me again and led me to a random room.

When I entered, I felt my eyes widen and jaw drop. In front of me were the Freelancers: York, North and South Dakota, Washington, Florida, Maine, and Connecticut. The only one not there was Wyoming, but I was happy about that.

"Ryan," Carolina said, "These are-"

"Freelancers..." I stuttered, suddenly feeling inadequate and lightheaded, "... I gotta sit down..."

I practically fell on my butt and grabbed my head. York chuckled.

"Hey," he said, "Calm down. We're all friends here..."

"I know," I said, "Just a bit... overwhelming..."

"Well..." North shrugged, "I can't really blame you."

 **XXX**

After I finally had the strength to get back up, I walked around and introduced myself. After that, Carolina led me to a large empty room.

"This is the training facility," Carolina explained, "All of the Freelancers do their combat training in here. Any scenario can be opened up here. Watch."

She looked up and said, "FILSS? Paint scenario."

"Affirmative," an electronic female voice said.

Tiles on the floor opened up and short columns rose out of the holes.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Hello," the voice said again, "And thank you for using this facility. You may call me FILSS."

"Oh," I said, "Hello... FILSS... Big... Ship lady."

"FILSS is the AI that helps out around the ship," Carolina explained, "Pretty much everything here is operated by her."

A pedestal appeared in a corner of the room and we walked over to it. On it were two pistols and strange looking ammo clips.

"What are those?" I asked.

"Paint," she answered, loading a clip into a pistol.

She aimed it at a column and fired. Instead of a bullet hitting the column, pink crystallized paint stuck to it.

"Whoa!" I gasped.

"Don't let it hit you though," Carolina advised, "From what the others have said, it stings like crazy."

"Noted."

"One time, one of the Freelancers, Georgia, got shot so many times, he was completely covered in this pink paint and he was in the infirmary for a full day."

"Pink? I don't know... It looks more like a lightish red to me..."

Carolina raised an eyebrow but shrugged, "Point is, don't get shot."

"Got it."

 **XXX**

She then led me out of the room and into the hallway. After a while, we stopped at a door and she opened it. Inside was a regular bedroom with a nightstand, a couch, a chair, and a single bed.

"This'll be your room," Carolina said, "You'll be staying here from now on."

I stared at the room in awe. I then ran in and jumped on my bed, landing on my back. It had been so long since I had laid on a soft bed. I put my hands behind my head.

"Now this I could get used to," I smiled.

Carolina chuckled, "Trust me. You will. Tomorrow, we begin training. You better get some rest. It's pretty late."

I looked at the clock and saw the time: 10:30. I didn't realize how tired I was until now.

"Okay then," I yawned, "Good night Carolina."

She was silent for a couple of seconds before smiling, "Good night Ryan."

She closed the door and I turned out the lights. I laid there for a couple more minutes, contemplating my day. I still had a hard time believing this was happening to me. I then remembered my photo. I pulled it out and stared at it. I smiled and laid it on my nightstand. Eventually, drowsiness overtook me and I fell asleep.

 **XXX**

 **And that's done! Next time, we get a bit of training. Till next time guys!**


	6. Chapter 5: Training

**Chapter 5: Training**

I was in a deep sleep when the next thing I knew, an alarm went off and shook me out of bed. I got up off the floor in a tired daze. I looked around and remembered where I was. It wasn't a dream.

I got dressed and walked out of my room. I headed in the general direction of the training room. When I got there and opened the door, I saw Carolina leaning against the far wall in full body armor.

"You're late," she said.

I raised an eyebrow, "Well, excuuuuuuuse me princess, but no one told me a time."

She chuckled but then glared, "Don't call me that again."

"Got it, got it," I raised my hands in surrender, "So what are we doing today?"

"I got you a spare suit of armor," she said, "Put it on and I'll tell you."

I looked at the corner and saw a suit of armor regular soldiers used. A few minutes later, I walked back in.

"So, what are we doing?" I asked.

"Dodge," she grinned.

"Dodge wha-" I was interrupted by her fist slamming into my chest piece and I flew back a few yards.

I got back up and shook my head, "What the-"

Carolina zoomed ahead at super speed and punched me again, yelling, "Dodge!"

I got back up again and said, "You know Carolina, yelling 'DODGE!' is more distracting than helpful!"

This went on for quite a while. I actually did manage to dodge a few shots, but they were all quickly followed by a blow that knocked me back. But then I had enough.

I dodged her next punch, grabbed her arm, and kicked my foot out. I successfully knocked her a few feet back. She looked up and me and I heard her laugh a little.

"Good," she said, "But you're gonna have to do better than that."

I shrugged and got into a fighting stance. She charged and we started fighting hand to hand. It went about as well as the dodging. Every time I slipped up, even marginally, Carolina took me down. If it hadn't been for the armor, I'd have quite a few broken bones.

Eventually though, I lost all my energy. I collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. Carolina walked over to me and offered a hand, which I gladly accepted.

"You did pretty well for a rookie," she complimented, "Even if I was holding back."

"What?!" I managed to get out, "Man, I thought I was doing pretty good..."

Carolina chuckled, then looked up. I managed to see her eyes widen a bit and I followed her gaze. In a little glass windowed booth on the upper wall, were the rest of the Freelancers. Some were even clapping. I did notice Wyoming though. He glared at me and looked away.

"Seriously?" Carolina yelled at them, "Were you guys watching the whole time?"

"Kinda!" York chuckled.

We walked out, I got out of my armor, and went into the booth.

"You know," Washington said, "The Director told us we might be getting a new member, but I'll be honest, I didn't expect it to be you."

"You did pretty good," North nodded in agreement, "If you keep improving, you'll be one of us in no time."

"T-thanks..." I said, a bit shocked that they were complimenting me.

 **XXX**

And that's how things were for a month or so. Except there was a different training routine everyday. One day, I'd be dodging paint shots- "Dodge!"- and the next I'd be sparring with Carolina and getting my butt handed to me.

But I could feel myself getting better. I lasted longer against Carolina every day and I could tell she was actually trying to beat me after another week. Even if she was still beating me pretty easily.

Occasionally, one of the others would help me out as well. North would help me with the shooting range (I turned out to be pretty good with a sniper rifle), Connecticut, or Connie, and South would have a grandiose time trying to shoot me with paint (but fail), and the others would spar with me and kick my butt. The only one I managed to be on par with was Washington, or Wash, but that was only because he was the newest of them.

Outside of training was a bit of a different story. While the other Freelancers at least acknowledged that I was striving to become one of them, Wyoming wasn't so lenient. Every time we passed each other in a hallway, he glared at me as if he wanted to kill me where I stood.

But I was improving nonetheless. After a while, I beat Wash in combat, then Connie, and then Florida. Then one day...

 **XXX**

"Alright Ryan," Carolina said one day when I walked in, "You've got a different sparring partner for today."

"Okay then," I replied, "Who?"

"Well..." Carolina rubbed the back of her neck, "That's the thing..."

The door opened up and in walked Wyoming who chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

 **XXX**

 **Yeah... That doesn't look good. Till next time guys!**


	7. Chapter 6: Ryan vs Wyoming

**Chapter 6: Ryan vs. Wyoming**

I gulped, 'Well... That's a thing...'

"I've been looking forward to this," Wyoming sneered.

Carolina just sighed, "FILSS? Paint scenario."

Columns rose out of the floor and we went to separate sides. As I was loading my paint ammo, Carolina walked over.

"Look, I'm sorry," she whispered, "But he's been persisting for quite a while now. I couldn't keep him out forever. I-"

"It's okay," I said, looking at her with a confident smirk, "I've got this."

She stared at me and nodded, "Alright then. Good luck."

She patted my shoulder and left the floor.

"Combatants ready?" FILSS asked.

"Of course," Wyoming grinned.

I gave a gulp and took a deep breath, "Ready."

"Affirmative," FILSS said, "Round beginning in 3..."

I looked up at the booth full of Freelancers. North gave me a thumbs up, Wash gave a little wave, and Carolina simply smiled and nodded.

"2..."

With a new burst of confidence, I turned back to my opponent. He sneered and readied his pistol.

"1! Good luck gentlemen."

I took off into the maze of pillars and hid behind one. I heard footsteps at another location in the maze and knew Wyoming was there. I peeked out and didn't see anyone and moved ahead. I couldn't hear any movement, so wherever he was, he hadn't moved.

I peeked out again and was immediately fired at. I ducked back behind the pillar, my heart pounding. I heard footsteps again and they were a lot closer than before. I then realized that he was hiding behind the opposite side of the pillar I was hiding behind.

"Give it up kid," he said, "You don't stand a chance."

Then an idea popped into my head. I quietly jumped and grabbed the top of the pillar. I pulled myself up and looked around. Sure enough, Wyoming was trying to sneak around the pillar and didn't even notice me on top of it.

I smirked and took aim. When I fired, I managed to hit his foot, sticking him to the floor. He cried out and managed to turn towards me and fire, but I jumped off, avoiding the shot. I landed and fired another shot, but he leaned back and avoided it. He fired a few more rounds at me, but I ran behind another pillar before they could hit me.

I planned as I moved. I knew Wyoming wasn't going to be able to get out of that paint anytime soon, so I had a bit of an advantage. I walked out and saw him desperately trying to free himself. He spotted me and fired more rounds at me, but I was planning on that. I dodged them and took off running, him continually firing paint at me.

Then I heard a loud click and I smirked as I realized my plan worked. Wyoming was out of ammo. But not long after that click, I heard a loud crunch and I looked at where Wyoming was. Or, used to be. He had freed himself from the paint and taken off.

The next thing I knew, a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me just in time for me to see Wyoming hit me in the face with his pistol. When I recovered, I raised my gun and fired a shot, but he ducked under it and kicked the gun out of my hand. So I punched him in the chest and kicked him away. He lunged at me and we grappled for a few seconds before he kicked me to the ground.

I shook my head and felt something on my chest. I had fallen on my pistol. I looked up and saw Wyoming walking to me, ready to finish me off. If he could see my face, he would've seen a smile.

"Hey Wyoming," I said, "Knock knock."

He chuckled, "Oh, I love this game. Who's there?"

I quickly grabbed my pistol, aimed, and fired all of my ammo at him. Now he was covered in nothing but lightish red paint.

"It was pain," I answered.

I looked up and saw all the Freelancers cheering in the booth. Even Carolina had the biggest smile I had ever seen. Then I looked to her right and my eyes widened. There stood the Director who nodded at me and left. I stared for a few seconds before shaking off the confusion. I just decided to enjoy my victory.

 **XXX**

 **And there you have it! Ryan has beaten Wyoming. Till next time guys!**


	8. Chapter 7: One Last Test

**Chapter 7: One Last Test**

"Would Ryan Bellator report to the main control room to meet the Director, please?" FILSS called over the intercom, "Ryan Bellator."

I stared at the speaker, a bit confused. What did the Director want with me? I walked down the hall and Carolina soon joined me.

"What does the Director want with you?" She asked.

"No idea," I shrugged, "The closest thing to 'bad' that I've done is kicking the crap out of Wyoming yesterday."

She chuckled a bit, "Well, whatever he wants... Good luck."

I smiled, "Thanks."

She nodded and walked off. I finally arrived at the door to the control room, took a deep breath, and entered. Strangely, the room was a lot more empty than the last time I was there. Nobody was walking around and the only people in there were me, the Director, the Counselor, and workers operating the controls.

The absence of other people left me a bit more nervous, but I steeled my guts and walked to the Director and Counselor, the first of whom had his back to me. When he heard me approaching, he turned.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked.

"Yes, Ryan, I did," the Director told me, "I just want to congratulate you on your victory against Agent Wyoming yesterday."

I raised an eyebrow. The Director had never even spoken to me in the past month or so, but I could already tell that he wasn't one to give praise a whole lot. What was he up to?

"And...?" I asked, trying my hardest not to sound impolite.

"And you have proven to be quite the fighter," the Director continued, "And I think you might be ready."

I was taken aback now. D-did that mean...

"Yes," the Director confirmed, seeing my shocked expression, "I think you might be ready to become a Freelancer."

It took all of my willpower not to jump up and down with excitement like a fanboy. In the past month, I had done nothing but try to become one. Despite the few low points in training, I have not once regretted taking Carolina's hand at the ruins of my house. Project Freelancer had become my new home, my new life.

"T-thank you sir," I said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the Director then stated, "There's still one more thing you have to do."

I nodded, "Whatever it is, sir, I'll do it."

"Good. Be in the training room in an hour for your final test. How well you do on it will determine whether you will join the team or not. Dismissed."

So I turned and walked out. I got back to my room and sat down. What was the final test? Was it a fight? Was it an obstacle course? Was it an actual paper test? What was it?! I sighed and mentally prepared myself.

 **XXX**

Fifty minutes later, I arrived at the locker room. I opened my locker and saw a new set of armor with a note attached to it. I took off the note and it read:

 _"Figured this will work better than the standard soldier armor. Good luck!_

 _-Carolina"_

I smiled at the note and pocketed it. I took another look at the armor. It was green Mark VI Mjolnir armor with blue shoulder pads and a blue stripe on the helmet. I took a deep breath and put it on.

 **XXX**

I walked out of the locker room and into the training room. I looked up and noticed all the Freelancers, as well as the Director and Counselor, in the booth. But as I looked closer, I saw that, to my shock and disappointment, Carolina was not there. Where was she?

"Ryan Bellator," the Director called over the loudspeakers, "This is your final test. Do not disappoint me."

I gulped as the door on the other end of the hall opened. My eyes widened when I saw who it was. That's when I realized that this would be the ultimate test as well as the final one.

I was fighting Agent Carolina.

 **XXX**

 **Cliffhanger! This will be the ultimate test for our protagonist! Till next time guys!**


	9. Chapter 8: Ryan vs Carolina

**Chapter 8: Ryan vs. Carolina**

I gulped at the sight of Carolina walking in. This was gonna be one heck of a finale...

"Ryan Bellator," the Director called over the loudspeaker, "For your final test, you will facing Agent Carolina in hand to hand combat. You both are allowed to go all out if you so wish, which includes armor enhancements. Start the countdown FILSS."

"Match begins in 10..." FILSS began, "9..."

"Remember, Ryan," Carolina stated, "Just because your my friend, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"8... 7..."

I was taken by surprise by the 'friend' comment. She really considered me a friend?

"6... 5..."

I smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"4... 3..."

She nodded her head and got into a fighting position. I just knew she was smirking under that helmet.

"2..."

I took a deep breath. This was it.

"1! Good luck!"

"Thanks," I heard Carolina mutter, "I won't need it."

She crouched and zoomed towards me. Luckily, I had grown used to this and swiftly dodged. She came to a stop on the other side of the room.

"Good," she said, "You've listened."

"Yeah," I replied, "Kinda hard not to do that after so many practices of you yelling 'DODGE!!!'."

She chuckled and zoomed ahead again. I dodged again, but she suddenly turned my way and kicked me square in the chest. I was knocked to the ground and quickly got back up.

She charged at normal speed and we began trading blows. She thrust her leg up, kicking me multiple times, and I caught one kick and flipped her on her back. She jumped back to her feet and began punching me. When I began punching back, she blocked a punch, grabbed my arm, and threw me over her shoulder.

I got back up and saw her crouch, getting ready to speed into me. I realized there was no time to roll out of the way. Thinking quickly, an idea formed in my head. She zoomed forward and I fell to the ground. She tripped over my own body and fell on her face.

As soon as she got up and turned around, I kicked her in the helmet, knocking her back to the ground. She kicked her feet out and sent me stumbling back. She got back on her feet and zoomed into me before I could recover. I was smashed into the wall, leaving a large crater on it.

I groaned in pain and she grabbed my shoulders and pulled. Nothing.

"What the..." She said, confused.

She pulled again, but my body wouldn't budge. I was just as confused as she was. Was I really that stuck? So I tried moving on my own. I couldn't even move myself. Now Carolina was actually trying to help me get out, rather than to continue beating on me.

"What the crap?!" Carolina exclaimed, "I didn't think I hit you _that_ hard."

"Think about how I feel," I scoffed, "This isn't fun!"

Carolina continued to pull as the door opened and North, York, and Wash ran in. Amazingly, not even the combined might of four Freelancers were able to get me out immediately.

"Wait," I said as they tugged, "Does this mean the match is over, or..."

"Actually," North grunted, "the Director said it would be on hold until we can get you out."

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of pulling, I was finally freed from my prison of a wall.

"Finally!!" I cried, "I thought my limbs were gonna fall asleep."

"Ryan... Carolina..." York wheezed, "Don't ever... Do that again..."

"Noted..." Carolina gasped, "Sorry for going overboard a bit Ryan..."

"It's okay," I said, offering a hand, "You look like you could use a break though."

She stared at my hand for a second before taking it, and letting me help her up. She caught her breath for a second before talking.

"Okay," she said, "I'm ready to continue."

"Wait, what?" I asked, "Don't you wanna rest up a bit first?"

"I'll be fine," Carolina replied stubbornly, "Let's just finish this."

I honestly hoped she realized that she was at a serious disadvantage. She was still tired from trying to pull me out of the wall while being stuck in that wall was a blessing in disguise: I was reenergized. As she was right now, Carolina was going to lose.

I didn't want to continue, but I knew her stubborn attitude wasn't going to allow that. She wanted to fight this until one of us forfeited (which she was not going to do or allow me to do) or pass out. I sighed and reluctantly got into a fighting position.

"Round restart in 3..." FILSS announced, "2... 1... Good luck!"

Carolina didn't say anything, but I knew it was because she was gonna need all the luck she could get.

She threw a punch at me, but it was a lot slower and sloppier than usual. I easily dodged and just stared, amazed that Carolina was still trying to win. I sighed. I couldn't fight her like this. It wasn't fair.

I pushed her back and turned to the booth, "Is there any way we can put this on hold for a little longer?"

"What?!" Carolina exclaimed, though weakly.

The Director turned away for a second, thinking. He turned back, looking at Carolina's tired form.

"Very well," he decided, "You have two more days. After that, no more delays."

"Yes sir," I replied, turning back to Carolina, who did not look happy.

"All of you are dismissed," the Director announced, turning around and walking away.

I smiled and turned to my cyan friend, who had taken her helmet off. She was staring at me, a mixture of anger and confusion in her eyes.

"Why?" She asked, "You could've easily won. Why?"

"Come on," I said, "It wasn't a fair fight, and you know it. I wanna beat you at your best."

She stared at me, glaring a bit. Finally, she sighed.

"Fine," she stated angrily, "But two days from now, your gonna be wishing you hadn't spared me."

I smirked, "That's the spirit!"

She glared at me for a bit and we headed back to the locker room. I looked at her in confusion. Geez, I think that I might've hurt her pride just a bit by delaying the fight...

 **XXX**

 **Yeah, that's not gonna be the full fight, but round 2 will be coming! Till next time guys!**


	10. Chapter 9: Filler

**Chapter 9: Filler**

 **(Author's Note: The chapter name is quite literal!)**

I woke up the next morning refreshed and ready for one last day of training before my 'rematch' with Carolina. The moment Carolina popped into my mind, I winced a little. I know she hadn't taken too kindly to me asking the Director to postpone the match, even if she really needed it. If there was one thing I learned about her, she could be as stubborn as a mule.

I sighed as I walked out of my room and towards the training arena. I entered the locker room and put on my new armor. I was growing quite fond of it. I walked into the arena and saw Carolina standing at the other end, helmet under one arm, with her arms crossed. I gulped when I saw the angry expression on her face.

Without a word, she put her helmet on and zoomed straight at me. I was caught off guard for a second and barely managed to dodge.

"What?" I stated, "No yelling 'DODGE!' this time?"

She growled and zoomed again. I ducked her punch, but she roundhouse kicked me in the side of the head as soon as it came up. I fell to the ground and got up just in time to see Carolina punch me in the face. As soon as I recovered from that, I saw her try to kick me. I rolled to the side and avoided it. I took another look at Carolina, who seemed to be seething in anger.

"Umm, Carolina?" I asked cautiously, "Are you okay?"

"Shut it!" She snapped causing me to flinch, "You're going down!"

We continued fighting, though it was more of a game of cat and mouse. I was exhausted just from avoiding her attacks, as well as getting hit by them.

"Carolina..." I wheezed, "Can we... Stop now...?"

"No," she replied stiffly, kicking me in the stomach and knocking me to the ground, "I'm still mad."

"I can tell," I groaned, "But why?"

I could almost feel her glare from behind her helmet, "Yesterday! You told the Director to delay our fight!"

I stared at her as I struggled to sit up, "So you're beating the absolute crap out of me?"

She picked me up by the armor's collar and threw me back to the ground, "Yes."

"That makes about as much sense as a self inserted fanfiction," I muttered weakly, "Wait..."

"Shut up!" She snapped again, kicking me in the side.

"Ow..." I moaned, "I think you broke something that time..."

"You made me look weak!" Carolina yelled, "You should've just let me continue!"

"Come on," I groaned, getting up and holding my side, "Why do you think I did it? You already made yourself look weak when you continued. I did you a favor."

She growled and punched me in the chest, knocking me on my butt. However, I could almost feel her resolve weakening.

"It's fights kinda like this that I want," I continued, despite the pain, "Where someone gives me a challenge and pushes me to my limit. Except, you know, without the hostility. Yesterday, it didn't seem fair. I wanted to give you another chance. I enjoyed the fight up until that point."

She raised her fist again, but found that she couldn't find the strength to use it. She sighed and lowered her fist. The fist changed into a hand, offering to help me up. I smiled and gladly took it.

"Sorry," Carolina apologized.

"It's okay," I assured before wincing, "But I think you might've bruised, like, all of my ribs."

Carolina laughed, "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. Let's get you to the infirmary."

As we started to walk away, we began to hear... a girl giggling? We turned and attached to the wall right of us was a figure in light yellow armor with red highlights. I vaguely remembered her as Agent Arizona, one of the two Freelancers I saw in the main hanger a month or so ago when I first arrived.

"What do you want, Zona?" Carolina asked with a sigh.

"Sorry," Zona giggled again, "It's just that... You two look so cute together!"

The both of us were taken aback by the comment. I visor-palmed, thankful that my helmet hid my entirely red face.

"I-it's not like that!" Carolina stuttered.

"Oh reeeeaaaallllly?" Zona smiled knowingly, "Could've fooled me."

"I would fight you right now if I had the strength," I winced, "Which I don't."

"Which brings us back to the fact that you have a busted rib cage," Carolina stated, "Come on."

She grabbed my hand and dragged me away while Zona giggled to herself, "Wait until Penny hears about this."

 **XXX**

"Geez," I mumbled as me and Carolina walked down the hall, "She sure is persistent."

"You have no idea," Carolina agreed, "But don't underestimate her. Despite being new, when she's teamed up with Pennsylvania, she can be pretty deadly."

"How was she sticking to the wall like that?" I asked.

"That's her armor enhancement," Carolina explained, "She can climb up any surface, no matter how steep. It's actually come in handy a few times. Great for stealth."

"Yeah, I know that now."

Carolina looked down. Was she blushing under her helmet?

"Yeah, sorry about that. She can be like that sometimes. Same thing with Pennsylvania."

"Yikes."

Carolina laughed, "Don't worry. You learn to tune it out."

And with that, the two of us continues walking to the infirmary, Arizona's words still fresh in my mind.

 **XXX**

 **And now we finally got some dialogue with a character I hardly used in a previous chapter! Don't worry though. You'll be seeing more of her, Pennsylvania, and be introduced to another one. Also, strange how this chapter is called 'Filler', yet this is probably my favorite chapter. Till next time guys!**


	11. Chapter 10: Rematch (or Round 2)

**Chapter 10: Rematch (or Round 2, Whatever)**

Today was the day. Thanks to the doctors, my rib cage was as good as new and I was in a good mood. This was it. The final battle. I walked into the locker room, put my armor on, and walked into the arena.

Carolina was waiting, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, "You're late."

I smiled at the familiar words. Two could play at that game.

"Well excuuuuuuuse me, princess," I smirked, "No one gave a time"

Carolina tilted her head down suddenly, as if she almost laughed, "What did I tell you about that?"

"Sorry, sorry."

Carolina let out a single laugh and looked up at the booth. I looked up as well and saw the Director, as well as all the Freelancers. Even Wyoming showed up. But the ones who seemed really interested in the fight were Agent Arizona, as well as her friend Pennsylvania. They both had their bodies pressed against the glass excitedly.

I chuckled a bit at the sight, then noticed someone else I've never seen before. He wore blue armor with black highlights, with a kitana sheathed at his side. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and looking at us. Who was he?

"FILSS?" The Director called out over the intercom, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Set the countdown."

"Affirmative," FILSS replied, "Beginning round in 5... 4..."

Carolina got into a fighting position.

"3... 2..."

I took a deep breath. This was it.

"1! Good luck, you two."

"Thanks," we both replied, "I won't need it."

I smirked as she crouched down, preparing to zoom forward. Predictable. As soon as she took off, I jumped and she ran right under me. She came to a stop as I landed, turned, and took off again. This time, I fell to my stomach and she tripped over me.

As she and I got back up, I said, "You're getting pretty predictable with that speed booster. You might want to go with something a bit more original."

I heard her go "hmph" and charge at me in normal speed. For a minute or so, we dodged, blocked, threw punches and kicks, going at it pretty evenly. My first mistake, however, was when I swept my foot out to try and trip her. She jumped to avoid it and kick me in the visor.

I stumbled back and she zoomed into me. I was knocked back into the wall, but unlike last time, I bounced off it an landed on my stomach. She picked me up and threw back in the middle of the arena.

"Yeah, I'm keeping you away from that wall," Carolina joked.

I chuckled as I got to my feet. Then I frowned. I was already winded from the hits I received and dealt out. Carolina looked a bit winded too, but looked a whole lot better off than me. And she knew it too.

But I was not going to give up so easily. She walked towards me and I stood my ground, letting myself catch my breath. As soon as I was in range, she threw a punch at me. I ducked under it and tried an uppercut. But she anticipated that and tilted her head out the way.

In response, she kicked me in the chest, sending me tumbling to the ground. She watched me get up and I got back into a fighting position. I was breathing heavily now. I shook my head, trying to snap out of it. Why were there black spots in my eyes?

No. I can't give up. Not now. I've gotta go out strong. I knew there was no way I was going to win this. At least I'll go out knowing I put up a good fight.

Carolina got into a crouching position and I knew she was going to hit me. I was too weak to jump or roll away, and I had a feeling she was predicting that I would fall to the ground so she could trip. No thinking my way out of this one. And Carolina zoomed straight into me.

I flew through the air, smashed against the wall, and fell to the ground on my stomach. Just before I blacked out, I saw Carolina running towards me and the Freelancers in the booth rushing out.

I had lost.

 **XXX**

 **All that buildup just to get beaten. But it wouldn't make sense if Ryan beat Carolina since she's number one and he's still technically new. Till next time guys!**


	12. Chapter 11: Agent Rhode Island

**Chapter 11: Agent Rhode Island**

I woke up in a hospital room, but at first, I only saw blinding white lights. My body was sore everywhere. I groaned and my vision began to clear.

"Thank God," a female voice said right next to me, "You're alright."

I looked to my left and there sat Carolina, "How... How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of hours," she answered, "You okay?"

"Everything's sore. Is that normal?"

Carolina laughed, "I guess. I mean, I did beat the crap out of you."

I put my hands on my face, "Ooooooh man... Great. What happens now? The Director told me that was my last test. And I failed it."

Carolina smiled, "I wouldn't say that."

"What do you mean?"

"Just because you lost the fight doesn't mean you failed the test. You did put up quite a good fight. Plus, I'm the number one Freelancer. Nobody was really surprised."

My eyes widened a tiny bit, "Wait, does that mean..."

"Yep. You're pretty much guaranteed to become a Freelancer now."

That got me beyond excited. Like, excited enough to sit up and hug Carolina. Which I did. After I realized what I did, I quickly pulled back and my face felt hot.

"S-sorry about that," I apologized, rubbing the back of my neck.

"I-it's alright," she stuttered, her face as red as mine.

"I freaking told you!!!"

We jumped at the familiar voice and saw Arizona at the doorway, along with her friend, Pennsylvania, or Penny.

"Okay, okay!" Penny giggled, "I believe you now!"

"As if the situation wasn't embarrassing enough," I muttered.

"It's not like that you two!" Carolina scolded, "What do you want?"

"Oh, right!" Penny said, "The Director wants to see you Ryan."

I gulped, but Carolina put a hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry. You'll be fine."

I smiled, nodded, got up, and walked out the door. As I passed the two girls, Arizona snickered.

"I totally ship it..." she giggled.

I blushed, but rolled my eyes. I really didn't have time to deal with her right now. I headed towards the control room to talk to the Director.

 **XXX**

When I got there, I saw the Director and Counselor standing there, the Director with his back turned. I took a deep breath and walked over to them.

The Director turned to me before I even had a chance to say anything, "Hello Ryan. I assume you know why you're here."

 **(A/N: Well, it is one of life's greatest mysteries... Oh wait, he meant physically. Never mind.)**

"Yes sir," I answered a bit nervously.

"Well, let me tell you that you have little reason to be nervous," the Director replied, "I am here to inform you that you have become an official Freelancer."

I nearly lost it. It took all my willpower not to jump up and down. I was more happy than I had ever been in my entire life.

"Thank you sir!" I said, "I honestly cannot thank you enough."

"Well, you can thank me by helping this cause," the Director stated, "As of now, you are a Freelancer, and you will be expected to do many things and you will have much more responsibilities. Are you sure you are up for this?"

"Yes sir. As long as I can at least have a chance at avenging my family and helping your cause, I will do whatever it takes."

The Director smiled a bit, but for some reason, it didn't feel... sincere. It almost looked like a cat after it caught a mouse. Ready to toy with it before he killed it. But I didn't dwell on that. I was just too excited.

"Well then," the Director told me, "You are dismissed... Agent Rhode Island."

I frowned at the new name as I walked away. Wait, wasn't Rhode Island the smallest state? That kinda sucks, but hey, that hardly matters. I'm a freaking Freelancer! I walked out of the room, a smile permanently plastered on my face.

 **XXX**

As I walked down the hallway, I saw Carolina run up to me. She noticed the huge grin on my face and couldn't help but smile too.

"Sooooo," she said, "Judging from the smile on your face, I'm guessing it went well?"

"Carolina," I replied, "There is no way to describe how happy I am right now."

She let out a laugh, "So, who do we call you now?"

My smile momentarily disappeared, "Well... it's... Rhode Island."

She stared at me for a second. Then she burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes, but I smiled anyway.

"Yeah yeah yeah," I said, "Laugh it up."

Carolina finally ceased laughing and giggled, "Sorry, it's just... Rhode Island? Of all the states, it had to be the smallest."

"Yeah. Hearing that name is gonna get old pretty quick."

Carolina thought it over for a bit, "Well... How about Rhode?"

"Huh?"

"Come on, some Freelancers like you don't really like the name's they were given, so they shortened them."

"Oh, like York and Connie?"

"Yeah, exactly. So how about Agent Rhode?"

I thought about it and smiled, "Yeah. Yeah that sounds a whole lot better than Rhode Island. Thanks."

"No problem. When you got a new name like that, you've gotta figure out some way to make it better."

"Well... Not just for that."

Carolina tilted her head, "Huh?"

"I mean, I wouldn't be here without your help. If you hadn't shown me the kindness you did the first day we met, I would be dead. And it you hadn't trained me, I would've been more lost. I just can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me."

Carolina stared at me, her face a bit red, and smiled, "You're welcome. I was glad to do it."

That's when I hugged her. While startled at first, she soon hugged back. When I pulled away, we continued walking down the hall, our faces starting to become red. That's when we heard two girls giggling.

"ZONA!!! PENNY!!! SHUT UP!!!"

 **XXX**

 **And now Ryan has officially become a Freelancer. And from now on, he's going to be referred to as Rhode. Till next time guys!**


	13. Chapter 12: The First Mission

**Chapter 12: The First Mission**

Things had been going quite well for me. I still train with Carolina, but now it's more like sparring. But one thing kept going through my mind: When would I get my first mission?

That one thought was bothering me. It had been two weeks since I became a Freelancer, but I hadn't been assigned a single mission.

But, as if some greater being knew what I was thinking (Wait...), the Director assigned me and some other Freelancers a mission.

"Wait," I had asked him, "Who are the others?"

At that moment, a girl's voice yelled, "SO. MUCH. ENERGY!!!"

There was the sound of a water gun and another girl's voice, "Penny! Calm down!"

My jaw dropped, "No..."

 **XXX**

The next thing I knew, I was sitting with another agent in gray and blue armor as we both listened to our two teammates... singing.

"Ninety five Duel Monsters cards on the wall! Ninety five Duel Monsters cards! Take one down, trade it around, ninety four Duel Monsters cards on the wall!"

"ZONA!!! PENNY!!! SHUT UP!!!" Me and the other Freelancer screamed.

The two immediately shut their mouths, except for Penny who mumbled, "I'm hurt..."

"Finally..." the gray and blue agent sighed, "Peace!"

"Alright, smarty pants," Zona scoffed, "How do you want to pass the time?"

"I don't know," I responded, "Backstory time? Or at least why you wanted to be a Freelancer?"

I then turned to the gray and blue agent, "And you never told me your name."

"It's Tennessee," he answered, "But you can call me Tenn. And I don't want to talk about my past. Let's just say I didn't become an agent willingly."

"Oh," I replied and turned to the girls, "What about you two? Why'd you join?"

The girls just smiled as they remembered.

 **XXX**

 _Zona's Flashback_

"So," the Counselor said, "Why did you want to become a Freelancer?"

Zona just kicked her legs on top of the desk and made a bubble with her gum.

When it popped, she answered, "Got bored."

 **XXX**

 _Penny's Flashback_

"So..." the Counselor said skeptically to the rather hyperactive girl, "Why did you want to join the Project?"

"Oh! Well, I've always wanted to help people and this seemed like the best way! I mean, just regular UNSC soldier is good and all, but becomingaFreelancerissomuchmoreromanticandawesome, GOSH, you know?!"

The Counselor blinked, amazed that someone could talk that fast, "I... don't have a checkbox for that... I'll just put 'other'."

"Yeah. 'Other' sounds good."

 **XXX**

"Wow," I said, "Then again, that's not really all that surprising."

"After that," Zona said, "We met back up and we've been doing awesome stuff together!"

"Wait, 'back up'?" I asked, "What does that mean?"

"Oh yeah," Penny said, "Me and Zona used to be the bestest of friends before we were separated. But now, we've found each other again and we're still best friends!!"

The two girls high-fived and Tenn just sighed, "What a carefree existence..."

Before I could elaborate further, 479er stopped the Pelican and called out, "Hey! You're here."

Well, this was it. We got out of our seats and put our helmets on.

"Remember," 479er said, "Get the information inside. Try to sneak in if you can, but if not, just barge in. No skin off the Director's back. Call when you need an extraction."

"Got it," Tenn replied, unsheathing the katana at his side and it began to crackle with electricity.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, "So that's what that does! It looks like it's ripped straight out of RWBY!"

"What?" Tenn asked, genuinely confused.

"RWBY?" Penny said, lighting up, "I love that show!!"

"Greatest show ever!!" Zona agreed, "Of all time!"

"Seriously," Tenn said as me and the girls high-fived, "What the heck is RWBY?"

"Dude," I put a hand on his shoulder, "We need to have an anime night."

"I'll get popcorn!" Zona agreed.

"Will you guys stop fangirling and jump already?!" 479er yelled.

So we did.

 **XXX**

We landed at the outskirts of the base and I pulled out my sniper to get avoid look.

"What do you see?" Tenn asked.

"About five soldiers patrolling the outer wall and two soldiers guarding the front gate," I answered, "If we can scale the wall at the right time, we might be able to slip in undetected."

"Oh!" Zona volunteered, "I'll get the wall and take out the soldiers!"

"Wait," Tenn said as he turned back, "I've got an idea."

"What do you see?" I questioned.

"A Warthog's coming our way. Looks like someone higher-up is coming to visit. If we can take it, we can get past the guards."

"Oh, like in the movie _Sahara_?"

"What?"

"Okay, how long have you been in the military?"

"Umm, guys?" Penny spoke up.

"What?" we both asked.

"I don't think Zona heard the plan..."

Penny pointed and we saw Zona dashing for the wall.

"Aw crap," I turned on the radio, "Zona! Do you read? We have a new plan of attack!"

"I know!" Came the reply, "I heard!"

"Then what the crap are you doing?!"

"How do you plan to sneak in like that if there are five other guards watching you from up top?"

There was a moment of silence, "...Good point."

"Exactly."

"Okay you two," Tenn said to me and Penny, "Here comes the Warthog."

Turns out that it wasn't someone higher up visiting. Just some new recruits. Nevertheless, we got the jeep. We pulled up to the front gate just as Zona killed the last patrolman and the front guards ran to us, only to be greeted with guns pointed at their heads.

I gave a smirk, "Hi, how are ya?"

 **XXX**

Needless to say, we rolled right in the base. After parking in a secluded area, Zona met back up with us.

"Alright," Tenn gave the rundown, "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, the information we need is in the room directly above us."

He pointed at the window above.

"What's the bad news?" Zona asked.

"The bad news is that it's got about seven loaded guards in it. Once we get in, we'll be gunned down."

Penny gave a cheeky grin, "Leave that to me. Zona, let's go."

Zona began scaling the wall, Penny on her back. Me and Tenn watched them go.

"What do you think she has in mind?" I asked.

Tenn was quiet before answering, "I think I have a clue... Penny's armor enhancement."

"Which is..."

"Short range teleportation. Once she gets in, she'll probably get to kill all the guards before they can get over their surprise."

Sure enough, after they reached the window, Penny vanished from Zona's back. After a few seconds, some gunshots were heard and then silence. Then the window opened, a rope fell out, and Penny stuck her head out the window to wave.

Once we got inside, I took a flash drive out and plugged it into the computer. After a few seconds, the files on the computer were downloaded and I took the drive out. We called in 479er and we managed to sneak back out and onto the Pelican.

 **XXX**

We all high-fived and cheered, except for Tenn, who just sat down and gave a small chuckle.

"Oh yeah!" Zona exclaimed, "We did it!"

"I can't believe my first mission went so well," I said, hardly believing this was happening.

"Oh yeah!" Penny sat down, as did Zona, "You never told us how you got here, Rhode! You wanna share?"

I mulled it over for a bit, but ultimately decided to tell them. The three did give me a pitying look as I told the story, but Zona and Penny did squeal a bit when I got to the part where I met Carolina.

"So cuuuute!!" Penny squealed.

"Will you shut up about that!" I exclaimed.

"Are you kidding!?" Zona said, "It's just like Pyrrha and Jaune in RWBY! The best of the best training the noob!! In fact, come to think of it, Carolina does look and sound a bit like Pyrrha..."

Huh. I hadn't noticed that. But something didn't seem right about the way she talked about Pyrrha.

"Hey, Zona? Have you... seen the end of Volume 3 yet?"

"Nope! I plan to see the last episode tonight though!"

Me and Penny exchanged a knowing look. Oh, this poor innocent soul...

 **XXX**

Zona's screams and crying could be heard all throughout the night that night.

 **XXX**

 **Let's face it. That RWBY Volume 3 Finale broke all of us. Till next time guys!**


	14. Chapter 13: Slightly Less Violent Filler

**Chapter 13: Slightly Less Violent Filler**

The next morning, I was up and training with my new team. When I walked into the training room, I saw Zona glaring at me and Penny. Her eyes were still red from last night.

"You two are jerks..." she said.

"Would you have rather us spoiled Volume 3's Finale?" I asked.

"...I hate it that you're right."

"Exactly. So what do we do now? I'm not used to training in a group."

"What did you do?" Tenn asked.

"Normally just one-on-one with Carolina or some other agent."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Penny's hand shot up, "Pick me! Pick me!"

"Umm..." I pointed to her a bit skeptically, "Okay, Penny, what do you suggest?"

"Free-for-all paint!" she said, "We fight all at once and last one standing wins!"

Tenn shrugged, "Why not? I could use a bit of practice."

I smirked, "You're on!"

 **XXX**

After setting the course up, we got to all corners of the room. I looked up and saw Carolina and a few others watching, no doubt with amused expressions on their faces.

"3..." FILSS began, "2... 1! Good luck agents!"

The four of us ran into the maze of columns. I immediately covered behind one, carefully looking around for the others. It didn't take long.

Penny appeared in my row and I fired. She let out a small yelp and suddenly, she wasn't there anymore. I cursed under my breath as I remembered. Armor enhancement. That made things a little unfair. To me at least.

Then I heard an almost inaudible thud on the top of the pillar I was hiding behind. I slowly turned my head and saw Penny. Gun pointed straight at me. It was my turn to yelp and I jumped back as she fired, narrowly missing me.

I fired as I fell, nailing her in the shoulder. She fell back and began to run away. Very slowly. Like her armor was slowing her down. Then I remembered just what this paint could do. It must've also stopped her teleportation. I hit her a few more times and her frozen form fell over without a sound.

I heard a few more shots and I saw Zona climbing the room's wall. Luckily, she wasn't aiming at me. Tenn was on top of a pillar, shooting, but he couldn't get a clear shot.

"You freaking camper!!" he yelled at her.

"IT'S A LEGITIMATE STRATEGY!!!"

Then I realized he had his back to me. Clear shot. Seconds later, he fell off the pillar with a loud thud. Then Zona's sights trained on me. Before she could fire, I panicked and shot in her general direction.

A few splats of paint landed around her as she braced herself. When she realized they didn't hit, she grinned.

"HA! YOU MISSED!!!" she taunted.

"Did I?" I smirked as I saw what I had done.

Zona then realized she was slipping off the wall. While I hadn't directly hit her, I had hit her hand. Now she was hanging from the wall from her right hand... The hand in which she held the gun. I took aim.

"Crap..." she groaned.

And paint hit her face.

 **XXX**

"I still say that was a cheap shot," Tenn muttered as we walked away from the area.

"Hey," I shrugged, "I saw my chance and took it."

"I still can't believe you got me when I teleported above you," Penny said.

"Well, I am the main character."

"That's true," Zona said, "So true."

"Wait," I pointed out, "Two of us can fourth-wall break?"

"Yep!"

"Wow... That's like... Eight walls!"

"What the heck are you two talking about?" Tenn asked.

"Nothing!"

 **XXX**

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but like the title says, it's filler. And like the last filler, I had a blast writing it! Till next time guys!**


	15. Chapter 14: A Typical Michael Bay Movie

**Chapter 14: A Typical Michael Bay Movie**

Another mission popped up for our team. However, since Zona was the one who was told the mission, she was the only one who knew what the mission was. So she just grabbed the rest of the group and shoved us onto a Pelican with no explanation.

Once we were on the ship, I asked, "Okay, Zona, tell us... What's the freaking mission?!"

"We go to an Insurrectionist outpost and blow it up!!" was her answer.

We were all quiet for a few seconds before Tenn spoke up, "...That's it?"

"Yup!"

I resisted the urge to face-palm, "That's really it? You drag us onto the Pelican... Just to blow up a single base?!"

"...Well when you say it like that, it sounds dumb."

"That's because it is dumb!!"

Tenn groaned, "Fine. What's the plan?"

"We break in," Zona explained, "and blow it up!"

"Wow..." this time, I face-palmed, "Spoken like a Michael Bay fan..."

"He has fans?"

"Touché."

"Guys!" Tenn scolded, "Stay focused! So how do we blow it up?"

"With this!" Zona pulled out a bomb the size of a C4, "We go to the reactor room, plant it, time it, and get out of there!"

"Simple," I grinned, "But effective. I like it!"

"Let's do this!"

 **XXX**

Meanwhile, somewhere below, two soldiers were standing guard outside the wall of the outpost. They were silent for a bit before one spoke.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"You ever wonder-"

"DROPKICK!!!"

He was interrupted by Penny swooping down and kicking him in the face. Before the other guard could react, he had a sword stabbed through his gut.

"Oh!!" Zona taunted the first guard, "Did Penny just give you a root canal or a kick to the face?!"

"Come on Rhode!" Tenn called out to me, "It's showtime!"

"Showtime huh?" I grinned as I shot through the lock to the wall's doors, "I guess I better perform!"

Tenn face-palmed, "Ugh, mother of God..."

 **XXX**

Once we were in, we realized that there weren't that many guards and the place was a wreck. Although it did seem to be supplying a large energy storage.

"Do we really need to blow this place up?" Penny asked, "Why not let it crumble like it seems it will any second now?"

 **XXX**

We finally got to the reactor room and Zona handed me the bomb.

"Wait, why me?!" I complained.

"Because you're the rookie," Zona grinned mischievously.

"Ugh, fine."

I attached the explosive to the cot and began fiddling with it.

"Be careful," Tenn said, "Remember: _10 minutes_! That gives us plenty of time to get out of range."

"Okay, I get it," I grumbled.

"Don't accidentally blow us up either!" Penny said.

"I get it!"

"TEN MINUTES RHODE." Zona said with that stupid grin.

"I GET IT!!!"

I pressed the last button. It read _5:00_. Tenn glared at me while I began fiddling again.

"Stop."

"I can fix this!"

"Stop!"

"I can fix this!!"

"Do not touch it agai-"

I stopped and the timer read _1:00_. Tenn growled as I looked at him, a bit scared. And I pressed the button. _0:59. 0:58._

 **XXX**

We ran. That went without saying. By the time we got outside... _0:10. 0:09._ We made it out and saw 479er waiting in the Pelican.

"So how'd the mission go?"

 _0:05_

"RHODE SCREWED UP!!!!!" Zona screamed.

 _0:04_

"I DID NOTHING WRONG!!!!!"

 _0:03_

We got in, strapped in, and 479er took off.

 _0:02. 0:01. 0:00._

We barely managed to make it out of the blast radius. We leaned back against our seats and breathed a sigh of relief. Then Zona promptly got up and slapped me in the face.

 **XXX**

Looking back on it, it was pretty funny. Though what was NOT funny was when Zona and Penny told the rest of the Agents the story and everybody got a kick out of it.

I just sat across the room, folded my arms, and huffed. Carolina walked over, trying very hard to suppress her laughter.

"You know," she said, stifling a chuckle, "I don't think I've ever seen these guys laugh so hard."

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled.

"Hey, at least you got the job done and didn't die. Those are always pluses."

She lightly punched me in the arm, "Good job Rhode."

She got up and walked back to the group. I let a smile out and watched her go. However, on the way, I saw Zona and Penny making kissing motions at me. I blushed, but rolled my eyes.

Then a few minutes later, I saw Penny talking to North. She constantly rubbed the back of her neck and I could've sworn I saw a light blush. I grinned wickedly. Oh, this is gonna be fun.

 **XXX**

 **And that concludes the chapter! Don't forget to send your ideas for missions and filler plot lines! Till next time guys!**


End file.
